Lawn signs can influence how neighbors vote

Neighborhood lawn signs and public opinion polls can affect how people vote in an election, but it all depends on how far away the election is, research shows.

“As we get closer to voting day, polls affect us less and less,” says Alison Ledgerwood, assistant professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis.

“Meanwhile, what one other person happens to think might affect us more and more. The point is, we are always influenced by what other people think, but who influences us most is going to depend on timing.”